Weekly Review No.91
This week, work gets underway on the new Nelson Bus Hub, Te Huia’s Sunday service gets underway start date and could a sale of Fullers360 be on the cards?
Kia Ora and welcome to the Weekly Review. My day job has been rather hectic at the moment, so apologies if the content is a little light at present. We are doing our best to cover as much of the transport news that happens as we can, anywho… let's look back at the week that was.
Joel MacManus from The Spinoff wrote in praise of the Number 24 Bus, Wellington’s most scenic commute.
Ashburton District Council has closed the historic rail footbridge until further notice, pending inspection following a single vehicle crash on Tuesday.
Contractors have started the renovation of the waiting room at Millers Acre as works progress to convert the former shop into the Nelson Bus hub waiting room.
The waiting room will have:
More seating
Improved AC
Improved CCTV
Departure screens
Automated departure announcements inside & out.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council confirmed the Baybus OnDemand trial in Tauranga South will continue into 2026, following strong community support and growing demand.
From 1 July, Kaiti now has two bus routes for better coverage and shorter trips, school busses will extend times for morning and afternoon runs, and for the first time commuters will be able to catch a bus to Kiwa Pools.
Livia was welcomed into Picton on Saturday morning with a water salute during her maiden voyage. Livia is not yet in passenger operation. NZ Transit Buzz understands this is expected around July 24.
Parents upset about proposed changes to bus routes from Ashhurst to Palmerston North are holding a protest to “save our school buses”.
KiwiRail has upgraded nearly 600 metres of formation with proper subsoil drainage and performed a minor realignment of the track curve near Tumai, north of Dunedin.
Auckland Transport have welcomed 7 new retailers into the AT HOP network.
Ti Rakau Superette
Westside Superette
Pak n Save Lincoln Road
Mangere Bridge NZPost Shop
Snacko (Devonport ferry terminal)
FreshChoice Ranui
Pak'n Save Ormiston
Timaru’s school bus service T2 & Route 86 Darfield to the City, now both have increased capacity. A double-decker bus has been added to the T2 and an additional bus is being used on the Route 86 in the mornings, starting at West Melton.
NZ Transit Buzz understands the bus operating in Timaru is a BCI Citirider Ritchies formerly used on the Auckland Explorer Bus when Ritchies held the contract. The bus has now received the standard Ritchies livery.
Fullers360 Kekeno is currently in dry dock at McMullen and Wing for survey work, minor maintenance, and the installation of four new Scania engines. Kekeno will remain at McMullen and Wing for approximately 8 weeks.
A lack of communication and time frame issues have been raised after Gisborne District Council made changes to public and school bus routes in the city.
The Goodshed Road Park & Ride reopened Tuesday Morning following the completion of KiwiRail’s work on the Upper Hutt Yard.
J 1211 has arrived at the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust's storage shed in Plimmerton after making a trip down from Glenbrook Vintage Railway.
2600m of track removed and then reinstated
Nearly 2000 new sleepers installed
2500m of Destress completed
120+ Thermit welds
7 x Ontracking pads installed
4 x Pedestrian level crossings installed
3500m of trackside rail recovered and removed from the corridor
Final approval has been given and the date set for the first Te Huia Sunday service between Waikato and Auckland stations. The first Sunday service will depart Frankton station at 2.45 pm on 27 July.
Auckland Transport has awarded the Out-of-Home Media Services tender to MediaWorks. This tender covers advertising for bus shelters, stations, buses and trains.
KiwiRail has banned the use of melatonin for approximately 2,500 of its workers, citing safety concerns. It said this was based off a recommendation from its Chief Medical Officer, who had considered the clinical evidence and what was done in comparable industries.
A budget of $50,000 has been set aside to give Taranaki’s public transport service a new name and a colourful new look. The proposed name for the rebranded bus service is “Te Pahi”, which translates to “The Bus”.
Construction has begun on the new Millers Acre Bus Hub in Nelson. Isaac Construction are running the first stage of the project. The Millers Acre Bus Hub will become the transport hub for all buses, including eBus, InterCity, school, tourism, and regional bus services.
Auckland Transport has found a way forward for plans to improve the area surrounding the new Karanga-a-Hape Station.
Winston Peters has thrown his support behind Te Huia’s new Sunday service, signalling that interregional rail could become a political bargaining chip as the 2026 general election approaches.
Both sides of the Matamata railway line where a local teenager was struck will soon be fenced - and the council’s considering further ways to make the area safer.
New Zealand ferries company Fullers360 has tapped Cameron Partners as its British owner considers a sale of the tourism and transport business across the Tasman.
More than 1000 people have signed a petition calling for train services to Auckland's North-West.
Two level crossings in Carteron on New Zealand’s North Island will close permanently to traffic later this year, as part of the Wairarapa Line safety upgrade.
Auckland ferry operator Fullers360 could be on the market after its owners approached an investment firm to facilitate a potential sale. Speculation of the sale was not confirmed by Fullers360, which declined to comment.
Bluebridge shared some fantastic footage of Livia's arrival into Picton for her maiden voyage on 12 July.
Also, Australian YouTube channel Pannier Productions spent a very long time capturing the X'Trapolis Train Recovery operation following a partial derailment near Melbourne's Clifton Hill.
It's a pity Fullers360 Kekeno couldn't be modified for better boarding while there. Most of their fleet are completely hopeless for commuter ferry use. Pathetic single width gangplank boarding*, insufficient to no provision for bikes and scooters.
* one so narrow a mum could only just, by mm, get her side-by-side twin stroller onboard.